Kent h



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. I

K. H. CARPER. SPARK CONDUCTOR.

No. 411,823. Patented Sept. 1'7, 1889.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

K. HGARPBR. SPARK CONDUCTOR.

.323. Patented Sept. 17, 1889.

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N. Pneus. Phewmmgmphef. washingm UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

KENT IfI. CARPER, OF SALEM, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE CARPER SPARK CONDUCTOR COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SPARK-CONDUCTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 411,323, dated September 1'?, 1889.

Application filed April 20,1889. Serial No. 307,996. (No model.)

To aZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, KENT H. CAEPER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salem, in the county of Roanoke and State of Virginia, have invented anew and useful Spark- Conductor, of which the following is a speciiication.

The present invention relates to improvements in spark-conductors.

The object of the present invention is to convey the sparks and cinders from a locomotive smoke-stack to a suitable receptacle at the rear of the tender, Where they may be retained until the end of a trip, or from where they may be deposited at suitable places, or be allowed to fall along the road to supply ballast. Furthermore, the object of the invention is to provide a spark conductor adapted to deposit the sparks and cinders in a receptacle at the rear of the tender with equal facility whether the engine is running ahead or backing; and, furthermore, the object of the invention is to provide a sparkconductor adapted to afford a straight draft, to enable the steam to be readily gotten up and the iires to be started and kept burning' while the engine is stationary.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of an engine provided with a spark-con- 3 5 ductor constructed in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view of the conductor. Fig. 3 is a detail vertical sectional view of the spark andcinder receptacle, taken on line n Qc of Figi. Figtis avertical transverse sectional view of the conductoniiue. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a portion of the iiue, partly in section, to illustrate the arrangement of the deiiectors. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of the top and front of the smoke-stack. Fig. 7 is a detail view of a portion of the flue showing the damper, which, when open, causes a straight draft through the engine; and Fig. S is a detail view of a portion of the iiue above the tender, showing the manner of 5o securing the parts together and illustrating in dotted lines the position of the pipes when swung aside.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A designates the flue of the conductor, extending from the smoke-stackB to a suitable receptacle C, and consisting of two sections A and A2, the latter of which being secured above the tender and provided with a flaring mouth to receive the former, whereby a fleXi- 6o ble connection is formed to permit free movement of the sections. The adjacent ends of the sections A and A2 are secured above the engine, and respectively by means of supports D and D', and their other ends are seo5 cured to the smoke-stack B and the receptacle C by riveting or the like. Theupper end b of the smoke-stack is curved rearward where it joins the sections A of the flue A, to direct the sparks and cinders into the flue, and has 7o formed integral with it a forwardly-extendin g tubular portion h', the front end of which is slightly fiared and has the large iiaring end b2 riveted or otherwise secured thereto; but it may be desirable to form the parts h and b2 in 75 one piece. The smoke-stack communicates directly with the flueA by means of its curved upper end l), which has in its front face, within the tubular portion h, an opening through which protrndes the reduced end e of a coni- 8o cal liningE, which is secured within the flaring front of smoke-stack by upsetting its front edge e against the outside of the flaring front portion, or in any other desired manner. By this construction the draft through the flue is limited and the latter is not choked up with air, as would be the case were the draft-opening in the iiaring front of the smoke-stack of the same diameter as the flue. The section A is provided near its rear end with a wire- 9o gauze or foraminous top portion F, which is directly over the cab of the engine and is of suitable size to permita portion of the smoke to pass out. By arranging the foraminous portion of F over the top of the cab the smoke is allowed to escape without being sucked into the window. l

In order to prevent the air from striking directly upon the wire-gauze F, and thereby permit the smoke to escape freely, a series of deectors G are provided, which are pivoted longitudinally between the sides h of a frame H, which is secured to the top of the iiue, just over the wire-gauze F. The upper edges of the delectors G are connected to a rod I, which has its rear end pivoted to a lever I', that is fulcrumed in the bifurcated end of a curved arm I2, whereby the engineer, by means of the lever I', can incline the deflectors G forward or backward, according to the direction in which the engine is going, to-cause air to strike against the sides of the deiectors and be thrown upward, thereby affording means for carrying off the smoke.

The rear end of the section A2 is curved downward and communicates with the spark and cinder receptacle C, and has foraminous top portion F', similar to the portion F, al-v ready described, and the smoke which has not already escaped passes out through the wiregauze top portion F, which is similarly protected from direct contact with the air by a series of dei'leotors G, which is pivoted between the sides of a frame H, that is secured to the section A2 and has its ends 7L curved outward to direct the smoke upward. The upper edges of the deilectors G are connected to a rod J and a lever J', and are operated as heretofore described.

The spark and cinder receptacle C is situated at the rear of and is of the same width as the tender, and it has depending from each side thereof two discharge-pipes C C,which are provided near their lower ends with valves C2. The Valves are attached to arms k of similar levers K, which are arranged upon each side of the tender and are provided attheir upper ends with pawls and ratchets 7c', which securely retain the levers in position to keep the valves open or shut. The valves may be kept open to deposit the cinders along the road to provide ballast, or they.

may be closed and the cinders deposited at the end of the trip or other suitable places,

and to direct the cinders into the dischargepipes C the receptacle vis provided with a false bottom C3, which has inclined sides that cause the cinders to fall into the said pipes C. When it is desired to deposit the cinders along the road-bed to form ballast, the iue is preferably provided at intervals along` its inner surface with -triangular or other angular shaped pieces L, which proj ect a slight distance inward from the iiue A to obstruct the passage of the cinders, which extinguishes and pulverizes the same, which form a very desirable ballast.

The ue A is provided in its top a short distance inthe rear of the smoke-stack with a rectangular opening a, the sides of which project slightly above the flue. The opening is closed by a damper M, which is pivoted at one corner to the lfine, and has connected to the opposite cornerof the same side one leg n-a U shaped lever-which has its other leg n pivoted to the flue A. A rod O extends from the cab to the apex of the lever N, whereby the damper IWI may be opened to cause a straight or substantially straight draft through the engine, which is necessary in getting up steam. The draft through the line A is also regulated by a slide P, which is moved longitudinally along the top of the flue in suitable ways to cover the wire-gauze top F and restrict the passage of the smoke therethrough.

As illustrated in Fig. 8 of the drawings, the section A2 may be constructed of two pieces, which are connected together byH hinges a that are arranged upon the sides of the ilue and are provided with removable pintles d2, whereby the flue may be swung aside, as illustrated in dotted lines, to free the tender, if necessary, in order to connect the tender lto a water-tank.

From the foregoingdescription and the accompanying drawings it will readily be seen that an extension front to receive the sparks and cinders is dispensed with; that there is no necessity for inspection of sinokestacks, and that the draft is increased, thereby getting the maximum amount of heat from the coal used.

I. In a spark-conductor, the flue extending along the top of the locomotive and each car, and the smoke-stack having its upper end curved rearwardly and connecting directly with and forming a part of the iue, so as to provide a direct passage for the sparks and products of combustion, said smoke-stack having a iiaring mouth mounted on its outside and provided with an opening in its front side, combined with the conical lining mounted in the flaring mouth of the smokestack and having its inner end extending through the opening in the front side of the smoke-stack, for the purpose set forth.

2. A spark-conductor provided with a foraminous top portion and a series of movable detlectors arranged above the same, substantially as described.

` 3. A spark-conductor having a flue provided with a foraminous top portion, a frame extending above the foraminous portion, a series of deflectors pivoted in said frame, and suitable means for operating the deflectors,

substantially as described.

4. A spark-conductor having a ue provided with a foraminous top portion, a series of deiiectors arranged above the foraminous portion, and a slide adapted to close the foraminous portion, substantially as described.

5. A spark-conductor having a flue pro'- vided with a foraminous top portion,a frame extending above the foraminous portionand IOO IIO

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aixed my signature 1n io presence of two witnesses.

KENT H. CARPER.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. SIGGERS, R. J. MARSHALL. 

